LOSSAN Rail Corridor Improvements

The LOSSAN rail corridor is the second busiest intercity rail corridor in the nation supporting commuter, intercity, and freight rail services.

The 351-mile rail corridor stretches from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, connecting major metropolitan areas of Southern California and the Central Coast. Train operations on the line include Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner; the Southern California Regional Rail Authority’s Metrolink and the North County Transit District’s COASTER and SPRINTER passenger rail services; and Union Pacific and BNSF Railway freight rail services.

Each year, more than 2.8 million intercity passengers and 4.4 million commuter rail passengers (Metrolink and COASTER) travel the LOSSAN corridor. One in every nine Amtrak riders uses the corridor.

The 60-mile San Diego segment of the LOSSAN corridor extends from the Orange County line to the Santa Fe Depot in Downtown San Diego. The segment passes over six coastal lagoons, Camp Pendleton, and the cities of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, and Del Mar before coming to its final destination in Downtown San Diego. Approximately 50 trains operate each weekday on the segment south of Oceanside.

During the next 20 years, SANDAG plans to construct nearly $1 billion in improvements in the San Diego segment, including a primary effort to double track the corridor from Orange County to Downtown San Diego. To date, two-thirds of the San Diego segment has been double tracked. Other infrastructure improvements include bridge and track replacements, new platforms, pedestrian undercrossings, and other safety and operational enhancements.

As a companion to the I-5 freeway, the San Diego segment of the LOSSAN corridor plays a critical role in the movement of people and goods within the region’s North Coast Corridor.